Pressmeddelande 22 september 2008
Utbildningsdepartementet

Government to invest in vocational training and preschool

The 2009 Budget Bill that the Government presented today contains investments in vocational education and training and preschool. It also contains proposals for funds to improve knowledge in the areas of mathematics, natural sciences and technology.

More vocational education and training

The Budget Bill contains a package aimed at expanding and improving Swedish vocational education and training. It is proposed that a total of SEK 1.8 billion be invested in this area over a three-year period. The proposal is in three parts.

Firstly - the expansion of the pilot project in upper secondary school apprenticeship programmes to include 5 000 new apprenticeship places in 2008/2009, with the aim to raise this to 6 000 new apprenticeship places starting in the academic year 2009/2010.

Secondly - an investment of SEK 1.2 billion, including the cost of financial support for students, during the period 2009-2011 in order to encourage municipalities to arrange upper secondary vocational education programmes within the framework of local authority adult education. These programmes are to be called local authority adult vocational education programmes (yrkesvux). Investment will begin in the autumn of 2009.

Thirdly - additional funds to create new places in vocational higher education from the planned start date of 1 July 2009. Vocational higher education is to offer post-upper secondary school vocational programmes that are not found in the higher education system, such as advanced vocational training programmes.

Attachment: Table 1 - Investments in vocational education and training (SEK million)

Boost for Preschool

The Budget Bill also contains an initiative for subsequent education known as the 'Boost for Preschool'. Preschool teachers and childcare workers will be given the opportunity to consolidate their educational skills as the educational emphasis of preschool is strengthened and the objectives of the preschool curriculum are made clearer. An estimated total of SEK 600 million will be invested in the Boost for Preschool during the period 2009-2011.

Another initiative that concerns children of preschool age is that the Government is planning to expand the municipalities' obligation to offer free universal preschool education so that it also includes three-year-olds from the autumn of 2010. Another measure is that the Government plans to introduce a childcare voucher system from 1 July 2009. The childcare voucher system proposal means that municipalities will be obliged to provide grants not only to independent preschools and out-of-school centres, but also to other independent educational services - such as family day-care homes and similar services that meet requirements for quality and transparency. The municipalities will be compensated for the costs of both these proposals.

Attachment: Table 2 - Initiatives for children of preschool age (SEK million)

Mathematics, natural sciences and technology

The Government has taken several long-term initiatives to improve pupils' knowledge of mathematics, natural sciences and technology, e.g. by introducing national tests in mathematics in year 3 and through the 'Boost for Teachers', a major investment in subsequent education for teachers.

In its 2009 Budget Bill the Government presents further measures for mathematics, natural sciences and technology. The total investment in these subjects is estimated to be SEK 525 million for the period 2009-2011, with SEK 125 million for 2009 and SEK 200 million for 2010 and 2011 respectively. Most of the money will be used to finance an incentive grant. Compulsory schools that want to develop their teaching in mathematics, natural sciences and technology will be able to apply for this grant.

Later on in the autumn the Government will present a more detailed description of the other elements of this initiative. However, two parts are already complete - in the spring of 2009 national tests in chemistry, biology and physics will be introduced for year nine, and in addition to this the Government plans to begin a pilot project for cutting-edge programmes at upper secondary school in subjects such as mathematics and natural sciences in the autumn of 2009.